Subject: Seeking Guidance on ATM90 IC for Energy Metering

Hello fellow electronics enthusiasts,

I hope you're all doing well. I'm reaching out to this wonderful community in the hopes of gaining some insights into a specific area of interest. My name is Ammar Waseem, and I'm an electrical engineer with approximately one year of experience in PCB design, primarily focused on smaller projects in my current role.

Lately, I've been captivated by the world of energy metering, particularly the use of the ATM90 IC. Its capabilities and potential applications have sparked my curiosity, and I'm eager to dive deeper into this area.

I'm reaching out to you because I believe in the power of community and the sharing of knowledge. If any of you have experience with the ATM90 IC or energy metering in general, I would greatly appreciate your guidance and expertise. Whether it's sharing your experiences, suggesting resources, or helping answer some of my questions, your input would be invaluable.

Thank you all in advance for your support and for being a part of this fantastic electronics community. I look forward to connecting with some of you and embarking on this knowledge-sharing journey together.

Best regards,
Ammar Waseem

 

Hi Ammar, I'd very much recommend starting with one of Microchip's evaluation/demo boards for this device. I'd also suggest, for a detailed understanding, in addition to looking at a device designed specifically for this purpose, look at how you could use a current clamp and voltage divider to measure the current and voltage signal converted to digital with a processor like an arduino - with all the safety precautions necessary for messing with mains voltage. With all the integrated solutions available these days it's easy to lose sight of the fundamentals.

 

Don’t use it. If you want to use a dedicated energy metering IC use one of Analog Devices‘ parts instead. The microchip device has no internal method of self calibration (e.g. a reference for its A/Ds) Each one has to be programmed with calibration values. It‘s a complete pain to use. Just get a microcontroller with plenty of A/D inputs and do it yourself.

 

Hi Ammar, I'd very much recommend starting with one of Microchip's evaluation/demo boards for this device. I'd also suggest, for a detailed understanding, in addition to looking at a device designed specifically for this purpose, look at how you could use a current clamp and voltage divider to measure the current and voltage signal converted to digital with a processor like an arduino - with all the safety precautions necessary for messing with mains voltage. With all the integrated solutions available these days it's easy to lose sight of the fundamentals.

Hello jerry,
I'm particularly intrigued by your suggestion to explore Microchip's evaluation/demo boards for this device and to delve into the fundamentals of current and voltage measurements using a current clamp and voltage divider. Your advice to consider safety precautions is well-taken, and I will ensure to prioritize safety in any experimentation.

Once again, thank you for your time and assistance. I truly value the sense of community and collaboration that forums like this one offer.

Best regards,
Ammar

 

Don’t use it. If you want to use a dedicated energy metering IC use one of Analog Devices‘ parts instead. The microchip device has no internal method of self calibration (e.g. a reference for its A/Ds) Each one has to be programmed with calibration values. It‘s a complete pain to use. Just get a microcontroller with plenty of A/D inputs and do it yourself.

Thank you very much for your valuable insights and recommendations regarding energy metering ICs. Your feedback on the Microchip device's lack of internal self-calibration and the need for manual programming of calibration values is indeed a crucial consideration.

You've raised an interesting point about using a microcontroller with A/D inputs for energy metering. This brings me to a question: What's your perspective on using part like the ADE7754 in conjunction with an ESP32 for this application? Do these Analog Devices ICs also require manual calibration, or do they offer any built-in self-calibration features?

I'm currently exploring the possibility of designing a PCB for this project, and your insights have been immensely helpful in steering me in the right direction. Any additional guidance on the choice of components and calibration would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you once again for your expertise and for being a valuable resource in this forum.

Best regards,
Ammar

 

I spoke to both Microchip and Analog Devices when I started the project, and told AD that their part was rather more expensive than Microchip’s. There was something about the tenor of their reply that suggested that I wouldn‘t be using the Microchip part!
I had a Renesas R7FA4M1 processor with eighteen 14-but A/Ds, so I used that, some 1A secondary current transformers andZMPT101Bs to isolate the voltage measurements, and INA181s to amplify the signals.